George Santos, U.S. congressman for less than a year, sentenced to over 7 years in prison

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 12:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Disgraced erstwhile U.S. Congress subordinate George Santos, who lied astir his beingness communicative and defrauded donors, was sentenced Friday to implicit 7 years successful prison, sobbing arsenic helium heard his punishment.

Santos, who pleaded blameworthy past summertime to national ligament fraud and aggravated individuality theft, appealed for mercy, telling a tribunal done tears that helium was "humbled" and "chastised" and realized helium had betrayed his constituents' trust. 

"I connection my deepest apologies," helium said, adding: "I cannot rewrite the past, but I tin power the roadworthy ahead." 

U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert evidently wasn't convinced. "Where is your remorse? Where bash I spot it?" she asked arsenic she sentenced him to 87 months down bars. She said the erstwhile person appeared to consciousness that "it's ever idiosyncratic else's fault." 

The New York Republican served successful Congress little than a twelvemonth earlier his House of Representatives colleagues ousted him successful 2023. He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of astir a twelve people, including his household members, to money his winning campaign. 

As portion of a plea deal, Santos has agreed to wage astir $580,000 US successful penalties successful summation to situation time. 

The 36-year-old didn't respond to reporters' shouted questions arsenic helium walked into a Long Island courthouse, but helium told The Associated Press connected Thursday that helium was resigned to his fate. 

"I'm doing arsenic good arsenic immoderate quality being would beryllium doing fixed the circumstances," Santos wrote successful a substance connection connected Thursday, adding that helium was "ready to look the music." 

Promotes Cameo relationship successful last hours of freedom

Prosecutors argued successful caller tribunal filings that helium "remains unrepentant" and has not shown genuine remorse, contempt what helium claims. They cited caller comments Santos made connected societal media successful which helium formed himself arsenic a unfortunate of prosecutorial overreach. 

Santos's lawyers had called for a two-year situation stint, which is the mandatory minimum condemnation for aggravated individuality theft. They argued specified a punishment was comparable to sentences handed to different governmental figures convicted of akin fiscal crimes. 

Santos was elected successful 2022, flipping a affluent territory representing parts of Queens and Long Island from Democratic control.

WATCH l After delay, Santos is banished from Congress (2023): 

Soon after, it was revealed that the governmental chartless had fabricated overmuch of his beingness story, coating himself arsenic a palmy concern proprietor who worked astatine prestigious Wall Street firms and held a invaluable existent property portfolio. 

In reality, Santos was struggling financially and adjacent faced eviction. 

The revelations led to legislature and transgression inquiries into however helium had funded his campaign. 

Santos made respective societal media posts connected Thursday, including 1 last plug for his Cameo account, wherever helium records personalized video messages for $100 US. 

"Think up and of immoderate solemnisation oregon lawsuit coming up aboriginal this year. Book them today," Santos wrote, ending the station with a bid of bosom emojis.